How to Remove a Sink From a Marble Top if Undermounted and Cemented In

Removing an undermount sink from a counter top usually involves little more than unscrewing the holding brackets and cutting through some pliable silicone caulk. If you are replacing an undermount sink in a marble top, however, you'll find removing the old one a bit more challenging. This is because undermount sinks on marble install with a glue that holds much like cement. Once you remove the sink plumbing drains and the faucet lines from the sink, it is a matter of supporting the sink as you separate it from the marble counter top.

2 towels
Two-by-four 2 feet longer than width of sink
String or duct tape
Rope
Helper
Screwdriver
Painter's five-in-one tool
Rubber mallet
Stiff putty knife
Commercial epoxy remover

Instructions

- 1
  Wrap a towel around each end of a two-by-four that is 2 feet longer than the sink width. Secure the towels to the board with string or duct tape. The towels help protect the surface of the marble counter top.
- 2
  Place the board over the sink so that the two ends overlap the sides of the sink evenly. Tie a rope around the board above the sink drain. Insert the loose end of the rope through one of the holes in the sink drain basket cross-hairs and back up through an adjacent hole. Tie the end of the rope around the board to hold the sink against the counter top. If you have a double sink insert the rope into one drain and up through the second drain before tying the end to the board.
- 3
  Ask a friend to hold the board while you are separating the sink from the counter top. This prevents the board and sink from sliding during the removal process.
- 4
  Go under the sink and loosen any sink clip screws with a screwdriver. Some marble counter tops use sink clips around the circumference of the sink. Loosen the screws enough to rotate the clips off the bottom of the sink.
- 5
  Start at one corner and push the end of a painter's five-in-one tool between the sink and the marble counter top. Tap the end of the painter's tool with a rubber mallet to begin cutting through the epoxy securing the sink to the counter top. The rope around the board keeps the sink from falling as you cut through the epoxy.
- 6
  Continue cutting through the epoxy with the painter's tool and mallet. If necessary, ask your helper to loosen the rope slightly to allow the sink to drop 1 inch from the counter top. This allows you to see where some cutting is still necessary to completely separate the sink from the counter top.
- 7
  Ask your helper to loosen the rope as you guide the sink down from the counter top. Once the sink is on the floor of the cabinet, pull it out of the sink cabinet.
- 8
  Scrape off any residual epoxy from the marble counter top with a stiff putty knife. If necessary, use a commercial epoxy remover according to the instructions on the can.

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